Manila's dense metropolis produces Bortle 8–9 skies, and the tropical climate brings high humidity and frequent cloud, with a pronounced wet season from June to November. Darker skies require heading into the highlands of Luzon — the mountains around Tagaytay, Rizal, and further to the Cordillera reach Bortle 4 within a couple of hours. At 14.6°N, Manila's low latitude presents much of the southern sky, and the bright Milky Way core passes high overhead in season. The dry months from December to May offer the most reliable clear nights.